Green Future
Green Electricity
Service centre in Kosmonosy has a 100 percent clean source of electricity
t the Kosmonosy premises, the carmaker, in cooperation with ŠKO-ENERGO, has installed a rooftop photovoltaic system and battery storage to retain the electricity that is produced. The entire system was built between April and December 2019 as part of the Installation of the Low-Carbon Technology project, and the total costs were over CZK 28 million, of which the EU structural funds subsidies covered more than CZK 17 million. The solar panels cover the roofs of five buildings on the premises. In addition, a completely new facility was built – a parking lot called the Carport, whose roof is completely covered with panels.
Thus, the ŠKODA AUTO Kosmonosy premises’ charging infrastructure is based on energy from renewable sources. The carmaker's goal was to offer not only its environmentally friendly car technology but also alternative drive with a minimal carbon footprint – that is, zero CO2 emissions in the production of electricity and the operation of electric cars. The electricity obtained from the solar panels will be used both for the operation of the premises, mainly the car servicing facility, and for electric car charging. In addition, the energy accumulation system will contribute to the greater stability of distribution systems and prevent sudden fluctuations in energy production and consumption. Any unused energy can be stored for future use or can even be used to drive operations in case of any external power supply failure. “The amount of electricity produced in this ecologically clean way covers almost 25 percent of the total consumption of our premises”, says Alena Chromcová from VAD – Business Development After Sales. “This represents the total savings we expect from the project – with production at 450 MWh, it is just over CZK 1.2 million a year”, she adds. These promising amounts of savings, of course, encourage one to follow. According to Pavel Grmela from PSU – Ecology and Occupational Safety, the carmaker expects to install further solar panels mainly on its newer buildings because the older factory halls’ roofs are not very suitable.
Ecological charging
Our “green” electricity will be used to charge electric cars both inside our premises, where it will be used mainly by our car servicing facility workers and employees with their company cars, and outside. “Outside of our premises, we have our four powerful 150 kW DC chargers and four 2 × 11 kW standard AC ones, which are also intended for public use. During the day, they are mainly used by our visitors, business partners and service training participants. In case of any available capacity, anyone can use our charging service while our parking lot is open. In this case, drivers pay with their smart phones”, explains A. Chromcová. ED
Project details
Title:
Installation of the Low-Carbon Technology on ŠKODA AUTO’s Kosmonosy premises, co-financed by the European Union
Description:
The project includes the installation of a photovoltaic system with an output of 441 kWp, combined with energy accumulation based on a battery system with a capacity of 616 kWh and an output of 570 kW.
Implementation period:
26 April 2019 – 4 December 2019
Total expenses:
CZK 28,398,057.61
EU subsidies:
CZK 17,038,834.56
European Union
European Regional Development Fund
OP Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness
Zero Waste to Landfill certification
KODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited’s (SAVWIPL) production plants in Pune and Aurangabad have received high marks for their sustainable development. They can re-use the vast majority of their waste materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. They were bestowed upon Zero Waste to Landfill sites platinum certification from TÜV Nord, the world leader in auditing, certification and testing. Overall, the Pune plant has recovered a total of 98.42 percent of its waste, while Aurangabad plant a full 99.99%. With this achievement, SAVWIPL inches towards its ambition of becoming a carbon-neutral company in the second half of the current decade as part of the Go To Zero initiative. ED
In addition to the RAPID model, which is produced in Pune, and the OCTAVIA, SUPERB, and KODIAQ cars, which come off the production lines in Aurangabad, there is also a new SUV designed exclusively for the Indian market. It is modelled on the VISION IN study.
How does SAVWIPL handle waste in India
After filtration, waste materials from the paint shops are re-used for energy production or heating
Re-use of paper shipping boxes for spare parts business